


Beauty is Only Skin Deep

by snowcloud8



Series: The Untold Stories of the RFA [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: After Ending Spoilers (Mystic Messenger), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Bikers, Claustrophobia, Companionable Snark, Depression, Disability, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gyms, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Insecurity, Medical Trauma, Misunderstandings, Motorcycles, Nightmares, Obsessive Behavior, Occupational Therapy, POV Alternating, POV Zen | Ryu Hyun, Paralysis, Paraplegia, Physical Disability, Physical Therapy, Protective Zen | Ryu Hyun, References to Depression, Revenge, Sarcasm, Sleep Paralysis, Snark, Spoilers, Stalking, Swearing, Swimming, Swimming Pools, Therapy, Training, Trauma, Trolling, Trolling War, Wheelchair MC, Wheelchairs, weightlifting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-07 05:05:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17954129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowcloud8/pseuds/snowcloud8
Summary: After the accident two years ago that rendered her paralyzed, Mei-Cho is still readjusting to her new appearance and lifestyle. When she's introduced to the RFA under mysterious circumstances, she meets Zen, a narcissist who wants to be a serious actor but is judged for his looks. Together, they realize there's more than meets the eye, including baggage and secrets. AU Canon after Day 7 of Zen's Casual Story.





	1. No Pain, No Gain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wheelchair is an adjustment and iPhones do not age well.

Sitting contemplatively outside in the brisk November weather, Mei-Cho Chang decided that whoever designed the wheelchair ramps for Seoyoung-Ho Clinic was a sick, sadistic bastard. Like seriously, whose idea was it to make the ramps almost parallel with the stairs? It made it so hard to roll up that you were more likely to strain yourself further than to clear it unscathed. She already had to come in for therapy three times a week. Was the clinic so broke -so desperate- that they needed a guarantee for her to be a continuing, returning patron?

Strands of her choppy black hair that weren't in patches dripped wet with water and chlorine onto her turtleneck, her eyes burning with hatred up at the disproportionate ramp, knowing full-well that she would have to tackle this abomination in a few hours.

Clenching the top, outer rims of her wheelchair, she hotly debated between tackling the disproportionate ramp in practice for the real thing or risk a hop onto the sidewalk before hearing a sharp trill of the K-Pop musical stylings of Psy coming from her person. Mei-Cho could barely feel the vibrations in her pocket before she fished her iPhone out of her tan, cable-knit sweater and read the dismissed the alarm.

8:40 a.m.

_Damn._

Grudgingly, she tucked the phone in between her chair and thigh and decided to live a little dangerously and get in a good curb hop in as practice, starting her Tuesday morning roll down towards the subway station.

Some days life felt like an uphill battle on an unsalted ramp in winter. Like today, for example. Her asshole of a dog, Jin, had woken her up thirty minutes before her alarm for walkies, the stubbornly independent Shiba Inu taking forever to choose which area he wanted to piss on their usual route through the park and then proceed to stop and piss on everything in sight, including other dogs, and then lie motionless for minutes at a time to display dominance. Then her swim practice today was complete garbage, her time in swimming two hundred meters being eight seconds slower than her original best, and now her dinosaur of an iPhone was to the point where she had to clean out her almost all of her apps and store the majority of her photos in the Cloud archives just so the system could update, because that was the better alternative than buying a new phone with more data, which she could not afford with her current financial situation. Which is why her alarm was delayed by ten minutes, having the fun new glitch of snoozing itself without telling her, throwing off her whole calendar schedule.

Still, as this was the same shit everyday (with a little variety sprinkled in), Mei-Cho tried not to let any of it get under her skin as she swiped her train pass and rolled onto the yellow striped platform. She always planned about twenty minutes in advanced for situations like this, should she need to find a bathroom or need time to find an elevator or a wheelchair accessible path to her destination to avoid missing her train or deal with any other unforeseen disaster that would seem to target her. Even when that failed, her wheelchair was a good fallback for a legitimate excuse at being late for work, the only plus side about being in a wheelchair. That and handicap parking.

With a tab of a touchscreen, the iPhone's internet icon flashed a joyous green four bars and connected to the metro's Public Access Wi-Fi and MC began the due process of cleaning out unnecessary applications like Cinder and Cat Physics and changing others to factory settings. Clicking the system update with a disgruntled satisfaction, Mei-Cho locked her device and set it gently in her lap while waiting for the subway, allowing it to shutdown and restart at leisure and silently praying to the evil schmucks at Pear Corp. that her model had been one of the products they had went out of their way to build properly enough that it wouldn't break within two years and that her poor little dino had enough space to function properly for at least another year.

Shortly after her daily prayer, she eyed a homeless man crouched away from the huddled masses that flooded to and from the Seoul Metro. He had lackluster white hair and was shielded by a raggedy black coat and a crusty old blanket only reserved for emergencies. She could tell by his sunken in eyes and the gaunt expression he wore like a veteran that he wasn't in the best condition of his life, and what put him there wasn't an insomniac love of watching subway cars. Learning from her parents never to give money to homeless strangers, Mei-Cho phished around in her wallet for a gift card so that the man could at least have a hot meal. She weighed her options of offering her Moonbucks or Burger Kill cards, contemplating which one had more money on it before settling on both. She needed to eat less fast food anyways.

"Don't spend it all on drugs," was all she said, holding out the two gift cards before tossing them into his Styrofoam cup. She didn't check to see his reaction. Her train had arrived and she didn't have time for sentiment.

She was moving towards a subway pole on the traincar when her phone decided to be a douche and slip off of her lap and clatter onto the floor. Droves of people walked mindlessly by, off in their own little worlds and customarily elbowing people within strike range if it got too crowded before briefly snapping out of it to step around her. If she was lucky, they ignored her, but most mustered enough energy to spare her a dirty looks or a glance of pity, as if she was the cause of everything wrong in the world and it was her fault they weren't arriving at their destination as soon as they liked. However, despite this, she still didn't have to move a muscle before two or three people noticed her plight and motioned to pick up her phone for her, which had been scuffed and kicked beyond her reach.

In the brief instant, they resembled a herd of stray dogs that were ready to tear each others' throat out over a scrap of meat, each person emphatically rushing to do their one good deed for the day by helping a cripple pick up her dropped phone. The guy in the middle won out in the end, winning some sort of unspoken game of chicken based on hesitation and reaction time, before picking it up. He held her phone for a few seconds, almost as if he was debating on giving it back or taunting her with it before extending his arm out.

"Here you go, miss." She stared at his fingers like they were foreign objects before retrieving it from the stranger.

"Thanks," she replied automatically, disinterested in his kind gesture. Would anyone have noticed her drop her phone if she wasn't in a wheelchair? Would've anyone cared if she did?

"Make sure not to lose that. Wouldn't want you to be unable to call for help."

_Dick._

"Yeah, sure thing," Mei-Cho said, feeling like she was baring her fangs instead of smiling.

"Have a nice day."

_Bite me._

And then he turned to get off the train just as the doors closed shut. After making a note that her screen did not crack from the fall, Mei-Cho swiped her finger across the touchscreen and punched in her pin number and read the notification bar at the top of the screen. Now that her phone was updated, her notifications came in one major rush that caused her phone to obnoxiously blow up, going from having little seizures to borderline schizophrenic until she managed to turn down the sound. Twenty one missed Fake Book notifications. Seven updated apps. Three unanswered texts. Eight missed phone calls- God, Heejae, a little excessive much? -and one missed appointment on her calendar for 2:30 pm, two weeks ago on the second.

Right as she was about to click on the Flabbie Birb icon, having broken her previous high score before rage-quitting, she noticed a tiny new app in the corner of her screen that read 'RFA.'

Curious but not willing to touch an unfamiliar app she didn't remember authorizing or downloading, she looked up the little widget on her app store. It had a handful of reviews and mostly four or five star ratings for the app, though it had a lot of cat icons; even for South Korea, it was a bit excessive. The summary read 'RFA, a fun messaging group application to connect to and chat with single, handsome strangers in your area.'

It couldn't have been more obvious spam than an email that said 'penis enlargement pills' in the subject line. Her first instinct was to delete the app, switch to her Noogle and try to get a tiny t-rex to jump over cacti for points while she waited for her stop, and move on her merry way.

However, the one percentage of her that did still believe in bullshit was curious if the app was genuine and part of some sort of partnership with her old Cinder app or something. If not, it wouldn't be any loss to her. Her phone was old and had few contacts, hardly a worthy find for juicy information and phone numbers to spam. Anything worthwhile was in the Cloud, and it was just a bunch of reference shots, selfies, and unusual pictures of unimportant things. Who knows? Maybe she could fuck with them a little, say she was their fiancée and ask what the hell was they doing using a dating app to meet hot, young singles. It would certainly keep them busy enough to keep them from bothering other people and scamming them out of hard-earned wages.

She clicked on the app, which had a small spinning red hourglass until the loading screen brought her to a login main menu. Using her initials, she tapped on the Join the RFA icon and typed the username 'MC' along with a numbered pass-code for the password before she was asked to upload a picture or icon to be used as her avatar to complete the registration. Going through her album with the few photos she had left, she swiped through an eclectic collection of folders ranging from pictures of dogs to her wearing different colored wigs and contacts. Up until a couple of years ago, she had regularly gone through a few bizarre, embarrassing fashion years based on all the latest fads and now had an excess of multicolored wigs she now found practical outside of recreational use. However, she found she was no longer satisfied with the different looks and was a bit hesitant in uploading an actual photo of herself, and just went with a default unicorn icon with a pink mane and blue hair pre-programed into the app and hoped for the best.

Her phone abruptly flashed to black and then showed long streams of green algorithms that moved too quickly to process- already, she was regretting her decision -and then, right as she was about to close the app and call it quits, a small text bubble appeared at the bottom of the screen:

_…Hello?_

Her phone pinged a little bell chime at the new message. Funny. She could have sworn she had turned her phone volume to vibrate.

_Can you see this?_

She tried looking at the user's profile, an identification to the unknown number that contacted her, but it just registered them as 'Unknown' in their profile settings.

 _No. I am a robot. Fear me, meat puppet,_ she typed back, unable to hold back her usual level of snark.

 _*[Unknown]: A robot, huh? It's not everyday you get a text from a robot._  
*[Unknown]: I'm a bit flustered myself. I found a smartphone at the subway station, but all it had was this messenger app.  
*[Unknown]: I want to find the owner, but I don't see any contact info or call records…  
*[Unknown]: I've been sending messages with this app but no reply…  
*[Unknown]: All I see is an address and some important-looking numbers saved in notes.  
*[Unknown]: I'd like to go there myself but I'm currently abroad…

Mei-Cho bit her bottom lip trying to stave off a smirk, already generating some guerilla warfare mind games to be messing with this phishing, spam monkey and poke holes in his logic.

 _*[MC]: I thought this app was for chatting with pretty boys?_  
*[MC]: And how can you find a person's phone from this country in another country?  


_*[Unknown]: What? Oh. I guess you're seeing this message because of something you downloaded._  
*[Unknown]: I'm not sure, but I think it's an app that's connected to the one I'm using?  
*[Unknown]: Can you help me find the owner of this phone?

Ignoring her sound logic and thinking it was some sort of evil pervert with a goatee trying to scam her or sell her into slavery, Mei-Cho continued her clueless act and added fuel to the fire.

_*[MC]: How can I help you? I am a robot. I have no free will and I'm plugged into a near-immovable space.  
_

_*[Unknown]: …  
*[Unknown]: Then I'll just have to reprogram you._

For some reason, in the small amount of time that it took for them to send that chat, that last comment sent a small chill down her spine.

_*[Unknown]: Haha, JK. See? I can make jokes too. ^^  
*[Unknown]: But seriously, I'd like for you to go to the address saved here. I saw the street view through the internet, and I've been there before. It's an apartment in downtown. Very crowded._

As if he sensed her unease, he continued with emphasizing that it was a safe, developed neighborhood and that she could quit any time she wanted. She then got a message with a picture of a boy with blue, lavender hair and toxic waste green eyes.

_*[Unknown]: That is me in the photo. Maybe this will make you less suspicious…?_

Whoever this guy was, he wasn't a very convincing liar. She could still see the faint Shutterflock watermark in the background. Then again, she was one to talk, using a unicorn icon instead of her actual face, and it could have been something they had edited to look better on their profile. Still, she persisted, wanting to spur her spammer on.

_*[MC]: But am I just a robot. What if I short out on my way there or run out of batteries?_

Almost instantly, he refuted with, _'they have charging stations on the way. Just please go there. Please. I'm worried about the owner and how much they're missing their phone.'_

Wow. Two 'pleases' in a row. She was starting to break this guy.

_*[MC]: But what if you're some sort of creepy hacker who wants to break my hardware and use my spare parts to build his own computer or sell on the internet or black market?_

_*[Unknown]: Creep ^^;; I'm not a creep. Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'you get a treat if you listen to older men'…?_

_*[MC]: No. Sorry. That isn't coming up in my data banks. Hit Ctrl + Alt + Delete to continue.  
_

_*[Unknown]: Sorry, I was just kidding. Bad joke ^^;;;_  
*[Unknown]: ...  
_*[Unknown]: ...?_  
*[Unknown]: ...Hello?  
*[Unknown]: Are you still there?  


_*[MC]: Hit Ctrl + Alt + Delete to continue._

_*[Unknown]: ...What? I'm typing from a phone. There is no Control, Alt, Delete buttons._

_*[MC]: Hit Ctrl + Alt + Delete to continue._

_*[Unknown]: Look, would you just-_  
*[Unknown]: ...  
*[Unknown]: ...  
*[Unknown]: Wait.  
*[Unknown]: ... _Ctrl + Alt + Delete._

_*[MC]: Restored. How may I help you?_

_*[Unknown]: **Look...** All I want is for you to help me out._

_*[MC]: If you're all that concerned about this phone, why don't you just turn it into the police? Or keep it? Reduce, reuse, recycle.  
*[MC]: Tons of people lose their phones every day and they just go out and buy a new one. Everything is stored on the Cloud nowadays._

_*[Unknown]: Well… normal people won't be able to understand… to be honest, I'm very religious.  
*[Unknown]: My religion says that you must not miss any opportunity to do good, no matter how small. Even if I do keep it, I can't help but think about how stressed the owner might be…_

Well… shit. She didn't know how to mock that.

 _*[Unknown]: I know I'm asking too much. You might think I'm odd._  
*[Unknown: …I am a bit odd to be honest, but would you consider it? I'm talking to you right now, as a real person. Two complete strangers at two completely different places… It's a miracle we've connected.  
*[Unknown]: No one responded to my messages. You're the first one.  
*[Unknown]: I don't know how we got connected… but maybe this was meant to be?

Stepping away from her bullshit trolling for a second, she let the words in the chatroom set in. Why should she go out of her way to help a stranger help another stranger get their phone back? She didn't care. It wasn't her job to care.

Legitimacy and good-natured honesty were rare traits to come by in adults; for all she knew, Unknown was just playing on her sympathies. But on the off-chance that this was an actual cry for help, she would feel like a major jackass turning it down later. Other people probably thought the same, thinking he was some sort of scammer by trying to do good by seeking outside help.

_*[Unknown]: I'm returning to Korea soon, so I'll definitely make it up to you. If you feel unsafe near the place, you can just delete the app. Please, I'm begging you._

Having been so invested in her phone conversation, she had failed to notice that she had completely missed her stop. She let out a rough sigh, her eyes skyward towards the heavens like they knew the answer. Then her thumbs moved over the touchscreen keyboard.

_*[MC]: Alright… but if something seems strange, I'm getting the hell outta there._

_*[Unknown]: Thank you! Then I'll send you the address. Now how do you do that…  
*[Unknown]: _ _Found it._

Oh well. It was better to answer a cry for help and have it be fake than turning it down and having it be real, and it's not like she was any hurry to go home...

* * *

After doing a check with her phone and sitting on the subway for an extra two stops doing a little research, it turns out that the mysterious stranger was right about the area being well developed. The apartment complex itself was very high end, having automatic doors, expensive furniture arranged in the lobby, and multiple elevators. However, hardly anyone seemed to be roaming the halls. In fact, she hadn't run into anybody since coming here.

 _Maybe they're all still out to lunch or at work…_ she tried to convince herself as she pushed the button for floor fourteen. She fiddled with her phone anxiously in her lap as the soft dings of the elevator made her grow more jittery with ever dulcet ping. Finally the doors opened, breaking her from her trance and started rolling down the hall marked '1421-1431 -.-', reminding herself that this was a bad idea and that she was stupid enough to do it anyway.

 _"You have arrived at your destination…"_ Siri announced in a way Mei-Cho programed to sound like a posh, disinterested Brit as she stood outside of Apt.# 1426 and consulted with her strange new acquaintance about their next move.

_*[Unknown]: Is there a password lock on the door?_

Mei-Cho pondered for a second, deciding to tease Unknown one last time before fully committing.

_*[MC]: Hmm... Don't see one_

_*[Unknown]: ...That's strange._  
_*[Unknown]: There's really nothing to put in the password?_

_*[MC]: JK. It's here._

_*[Unknown]: Haha, nice._  
_*[Unknown]: You're pretty funny._

After how much she had been screwing with Unknown up until this point, it was hard to tell if his text was genuine or sarcastic. Mei-Cho liked to think highly enough of herself that she had upgraded the conversation to sarcastic or at least mildly annoyed, but she knew better than to poke the bear any further. It's all fun and games now, but if this Unknown guy was more dangerous than he initially let on, she didn't want to antagonism him... well, more than she had intially. Fortunately, before she had taken off, she had been smart enough to send the address to a friend of hers to let her know where she was going and to call her back if Mei-Cho didn't respond back in about an hour or so.

For some reason, Unknown- as she now referred to him, since he had never given her his name -was aware of the pass-code lock and that she was already there. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up cautiously as she subtly peered around the hall using her phone's reflective screen to search for anyone suspicious as Unknown urged her to input the password he found on a Note in the cellphone.

"…Shouldn't I ring the doorbell first?" she asked to herself before typing it onto her phone, trying to stall for time. Though curious if the layout of the apartment was nearly as ornate as the complex itself, Mei-Cho derived no pleasure in committing a felony, even if it was for a good cause.

_*[Unknown]: Hmm. You're right! Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight._

Eye level with the doorbell, she pressed the button and knocked on the door for extra emphasis. The slab that separated her from her destination was hard as steel. Sure that her resounding knock and doorbell was enough of a racket to alert the neighbors, she listened for shifting, a murmur, a dog bark, anything to give her reason to stay and not to immediately haul ass out of here. Nothing. Nobody was home, or rather, no one answered.

What if she was being set up for a murder, like on all those crime shows and Korean dramas she watched?

 _No problem! I'll just leave a note on the door or something and then get the hell outta dodge,_ was Mei-Cho's first thought. Of course, leave it to her for not bringing any paper or pens with her, despite having a ludicrous amount of crap in her purse. There was no choice then. Hesitantly, she punched in the code upon Unknown's request and heard the jarring click of an unlocked door and pushed it inward.

"Hellooo? If this is some sort of trap for an evil sex trade or porno, I'm going to tell you right now that you will be thoroughly disappointed," Mei-Cho called out, fueling in her anxiety into snark.

She was just one roll away from committing a B&E for someone she met on a phone app. Maybe she could convince the cops that her disability affected more than her motor skills and that was why she entered an apartment she didn't live in. Made more sense that saying 'the mysterious stranger on the phone app made me do it.'

_*[MC]: Nope! No way. I'm not going to enter some stranger's house!_

_*[Unknown]: You've come so far. No turning back now. Just go in and leave a note.  
*[Unknown]: I'll give even _ _you my contact info. If something happens, you can just show my messages. That'll do._

_*[MC]: I guess that makes sense ...Fuck it. Let's do it!_

_*[Unknown]:_ _T̵̺̔͋̍͘h̵̺͔̩̏_  
̶̳̇̎̏ḁ̵̡̟̑̄͜n̸͈͚̈̈̊́k̶̡̔͗̚͝  
ỷ̶̡̮o̴͎̔͂́ǘ̵̟̖̮͌  


**_Unknown has left the chatroom_ **

1̸̥̇0̴̱́0̶̮͠1̸̢̌0̷̲͌1̷̺̀1̴̨̛1̶̳́0̶̲̎1̵̗̑0̶̗̐1̶̩̊0̸̻͗1̴̥̊0̸͉̿0̵̞̍  
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̴̙͠0̵͖̀1̸̬̃0̵͓͛1̶͍́0̶̢̈́1̵͈͛1̶̥̑0̸̠̈1̸͓̂0̵̱̑1̵̪̀0̶̯͝1̴̞͝0̴̺͝  
̶̖̋0̶͘ͅ1̵̟̅0̷̣̇1̵̬͛0̶̲͠1̸̬͠0̴̺̒1̸̳̈́0̵̲́1̴͓̈1̷̬̒0̴͕͝0̵̥̊  
̵̹̾1̴̪̔0̴̣̌1̷̬̇0̴͖̇1̴̥̄0̸͚̇1̸̱̄  
̷̳͑1̴̦͠0̷͉̇1̸̞͑1̴͚͛0̵͍͘0̵̤̄1̵̤́0̴̅͜1̷̟̽0̵̯̇1̷̣̍0̷̙͊  
̵̣͛0̵̧̄1̵͇̅0̷̤͠1̵̱͊0̵̬̀1̴̓ͅ0̴̪͛1̷͈̓0̷̯̾1̵̳̀  
̶͂͜1̶̢̌1̷̢̿1̶̳͋0̵̧͒0̶̥͂0̵̗͘1̷͈̈́0̶̫͂  
̴̜͂0̵̲̈́1̵͚͑0̸̞̈́0̸̨͛1̵͙̍0̷̙͘  
̴̟͋0̷̯͘0̴͈̈́1̷̬̀  
̷̧͘1̷͖̇0̷̰͌  
̶͈̃0̴̱̒  
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̷̘̉1̶̀ͅ  
̵̨͝0̴̱̋

1

 


	2. Curses and Fairy-tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zen's point of view of events involved with the opening Prologue of Mystic Messenger.

One place that Zen always found he enjoyed visiting after a good workout was Smoothie Queen. Normally, most of his budget went into hair and skin products, so he didn't have a lot of funds leftover for anything other than bills and the actor's union. However, every now and then he could go out and treat himself to a protein shake after a nice workout. A young woman in her early twenties and a black bob perked up upon his arrive and hurried along the male customers she was currently writing orders for before giving him her full attention. The lady cashier almost always seemed to be here when he ordered from here.

"Zen! Good to see you. You here for your usual protein shake?" the cashier lady beamed, a slight peach flush tinging her cheeks.

"Yeah, but-" Zen greeted her before asking, "-are you sure you want to take my order first? All these people were in line before me, and I'm in no rush." Zen couldn't help overhearing the disgruntled hecklers as they glared daggers at him from the side.

"-damn guy pisses me off..!"

"-fucking pretty boy..."

In his younger days, Zen probably would have roughed them up for giving him so much as a stink eye. However, since he was no longer that person, he could empathize with why they were pissed. It wasn't fair that only he benefited from his good looks. Why, oh why, was he cursed with such beauty?

"It's alright. I'm already done with their orders. So, just a medium, lean strawberry protein shake then? You sure don't want to upgrade to a bigger size and share?" Her eyes batted 'come hither' as she held out two bendy straws.

"Ah, I can't. Gotta stay in shape," Zen declined, trying to cover up the depressing fact that he had no good reason to upgrade his drink because he hadn't had a decent relationship in five years, and even that one had ended in a tragic love triangle.

"Okay... then that'll be ₩540, please." The numbers rang up on the cash register and a blue, digital total popped out on the black screen.

"Certainly." The actor casually reached into his back pocket for his wallet and let his fingers sift through the dividing leather pockets before he felt his amiable expression slip into that of disappointment. Oh. Guess he was short a few coins. He could always put it on one of his charge cards, but he had been saving that for an emergency. "Sorry, I think I'm a bit short on change-"

"No problem! It's on the house!" she interjected, her voice loud and absolute.

"Really?"

"Sure!"

"Th-"

 _"Seahee!"_ A stout Korean woman, who had been blending in seamlessly with the background until now, marched forward to the register counter. Her glasses glinted sharply against the morning sun, the emblem of 'Manager' pinned on her chest like a glittering, war medal. "What have I told you about giving out free drinks to the customers!?"

"It's my fault, ma'am," Zen apologized, noticing the fear in the employee's eyes, "I was short a couple wan and uh-" he paused for a moment, briefly glancing at the girl's name tag, "-Seahee here, was willing to help me out. I'm sorry if I've caused you any trouble."

"O-Oh..." The manager's expression froze before transforming into a jubilant grin. "My~ what a nice young man and such good manners too. You go and enjoy your drink then. On me."

"Then we have no problem then? I'm sorry for any misunderstanding or inconvenience I've caused you."

"Nope. No problem at all. You take care now!"

"A-Alright, then. Thank you. You ladies have a lovely day as well," Zen smiled cordially and sat down at his usual table by the window. In the corner of his eye, he could see a couple middle school students gawking at him from outside the window, talking to themselves in flurried excitement while he took a sip from his protein shake. He caught their gaze and offered them a small wave, which was returned with excited, mute squeals and hushed giggles before they ran off. Meanwhile, a couple of guys glared at him in the corner, noticing that most of the women in the establishment were hardly willing to give them the time of day.

Zen took another small sip of his shake, but found it had less of a pleasing taste than he would have liked. A small inkling of guilt started to fester in pit of his stomach, like an old wound being agitated. He had to stop doing this. It wasn't right to use his natural good-looks for this, to keep accepting favors. At first, he did it only when he was low on money, as he deemed it as unfair to make everyone else pay because they didn't have his striking good looks (a gift such as this should be free), but now it had become almost a habit to maintain his budget. Was he relying too much on appearances to get by or did he need?

If he wasn't so adamant about becoming an actor and determined to succeed by his talent alone, he would have made a killing as a model or spokesperson. Beautiful people were supposed to have it easy, but that was a lie. It had always been hard, being him.

Sometimes, Zen thought he was cursed, looking as good as he did. It sounded arrogant when said out loud, but when he mulled it over, he realized that Grimm Fairy-tales actually got it wrong. It wasn't the ones that had ugliness thrust upon them that were cursed: it was the beautiful ones. Because the beautiful people wouldn't be able to know if they had been given everything they ever wanted because they were good rather than just beautiful. He was beautiful, thus it was hard to discern whether anyone was being genuine with him or not or if they were even good people, flirting or otherwise. Even then, jealousy was a horrible side-effect from stories about beautiful people, and Zen was no exception. Outside of the RFA, Zen hardly had any friends because most women fawned over him and other guys hated him for his natural charms; the few acquaintances he had before were in prison or didn't talk to him anymore because they fell out of touch. Could be worse. Jealousy in fairy-tales usually resulted in costing the protagonist an eye or their livelihood, at the very worst, their life. Just look at Snow White or Cinderella or the prince from Rapunzel.

Of course, real life never turned out exactly like a fairy-tale; you were lucky to have a life with minimal drama and strife, and you could still get the short end of the stick. Still, despite this, Zen naively wished sometimes that he did live inside a fairy-tale because at least fairy-tales ended with the prince finding his princess and getting a happily ever after, and even though he didn't have enough time to look for one, Zen earnestly wanted to believe in fairy-tales, but most of all, he just wanted to believe again. Believe that all of his suffering hadn't been for nothing, that there was a bright future ahead, that he was good enough to see it, and that there was someone waiting for him. He wanted to believe that one day, he would find his princess and be her prince charming, or at the very least, be her knight in shining armor and that they would ride off into the sunset together, white horse and all. It was a cheesy and romantic dream, he knew, but he had held onto it for a long time, and some days, it was the only thing that kept him going.

Feeling more than just a little twinge of loneliness, the starving artist snapped out of his romantic reverie and decided to log onto the RFA app to see if anyone was online, since he had some time to kill before he went to rehearsal. He caught his reflection in the glare of the phone screen and was reminded about how truly beautiful he was. It was his comfort, his solace, to know that he looked better than he felt. Soon, the dark festering lessened until it was a slight discomfort as he switched to the phone camera to try and take a selfie to update his profile with.

Satisfied with the pose with his latest script, he posted his latest thumbnail and glanced at the list of people in the room, astonished at the large amount of familiar faces. It was a rare occasion that almost the whole RFA was in one chatroom.

Usually it was just one or two of them mulling about in the chatroom, mostly Yoosung talking with him or Seven about the former's latest conquests in LOLOL, and most of the time Zen didn't go into the chat much other than to post his latest selfie or mention something trivial related to work; needless to say, it wasn't stimulating conversation.

Originally the group was fairly active on application when they had parties to plan and execute, but it had been ages since they had last thrown a party together. The latest attempt at a revival could hardly be called a party as plans for everyone to meet together at the same time on the chatroom and in real life quickly fell through like sand over a sift. What was worse was that nothing could ever fully get off the ground without access to the older party guests' information, information that Rika had kept to herself regarding its location and that had died with her. Since that disaster, they had all but given up any chance of the RFA making a comeback. Lately, it seemed that they had fallen into a routine of just coming in to chat when it fancied them, like everyone had accepted the reality of the situation. It just wasn't the same anymore without Rika, and without V to guide them, the chatroom had become just that: a simple chatroom. It was almost like the RFA had lost its purpose.

_**ZEN has entered the chatroom.** _

_*[ZEN]: Wow, it's been awhile since everyone's been together on the chatroom._

_*[Jaehee]: Hello Zen._

_*[Yoosung*]: Everyone except V._   
_*[Yoosung*]: What's the point of being the leader if our leader is always missing?_

_*[Jumin]: He has to be away on business. He can't always help it._

_Oh great,_ the actor scowled, his mood instinctively soured by the Chairman's appearance. _That jerk is on._

_*[ZEN]: Did he at least say where he was going?_

_*[707]: I think he mentioned something about the mountains and being in an area with bad cell service._

_*[ZEN]: So what have you all been up to lately?  
_ _*[ZEN]: I just got back from a good morning workout session and was about to grab breakfast._

He then switched to his camera mode, held out his arm and posed, trying to get a flattering angle, but the shot either blurred or the lighting wasn't just right, so he had to keep retaking it. Meanwhile, the chat blew up in the background and continued on without him. By the time he had caught up with it, he saw that Yoosung was whining about failing his midterms because of LOLOL, and Jumin was still as arrogant as always, showing off how privileged he was by offering Yoosung a job out of convenience, despite that Yoosung hadn't done anything to earn the position other than knowing Jumin.

_*[ZEN]: Lame. It's nepotism._

_*[Jumin]: It's called recruitment actually._

_*[ZEN]: It's giving a free pass instead of actually training the worker._

_*[Jumin]: Whatever. I couldn't care less what you say._

_*[ZEN]: What's the difference between recruitment and nepotism?_

_*[707]: Thought they r the same? O_O?_

_*[Jumin]: It's nepotism if you recruit a person you know and they aren't of any help._

_*[Yoosung*]: Oh… So you become a candidate for nepotism the same time you're recruited!_

Zen stared at the screen in disbelief for a second or two before face palming. He loved Yoosung, he really did, but sometimes the kid didn't have a clue. He was about to tell him as much when Seven started acting up, alerting everyone that someone new had entered the chatroom. Having glimpsed over it earlier, Zen had hardly paid attention to it now, but moniker 'MC' was now among the titles of people currently inside the RFA chatroom.

_*[ZEN]: Wtf. How did it get in here?_

_*[707]: **Hacker!**_

_*[Yoosung*]: Hacker!? Therae's a hacker in ouer room!  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: Sevnee do somethign!_

_*[ZEN]:_ Hey, typos. -_-;;

_*[707]: Wait a sec. I'm searching._

_*[Jumin]_ : _Who are you? Reveal yourself. Hey, Assistant Kang._

_*[Jaehee]: Yes, I am here._

_*[ZEN]: You were so quiet I thought you went somewhere._

_*[Jaehee]: Nothing was out of the ordinary so I was just watching  
_ _*[Jaehee]: but I see something has just happened._

_*[Yoosung*]: omg_

_*[Jumin]: Why is a stranger in our chatroom?_

_*[Jaehee]:_ No one can enter this chatroom without installing the private app we use… It seems someone has downloaded the RFA Messenger.

_*[Yoosung*]: I thought Seven let only us download it?_

_*[ZEN]: Maybe someone downloaded the app on two phones?_

_*[707]: Maybe?_

_*[Jumin]: Who downloaded it twice?_

_*[Yoosung*]: Not me!_

_*[MC]: Uhh... hi?  
_

_*[Yoosung*]: **Gahhhh it's talking!**_

_*[ZEN]: So it's not two phones._

Zen's heart fluttered with anticipation. What if it was a girl? Would she like him? Would she like his looks? God, he hoped so. He tried really hard to look his best everyday- such beauty should never go to waste -though part of him was fine if she wasn't instantly mesmerized by his looks either. What an interesting development that would be!

Unfortunately, things began taking a downward spiral since it was revealed that the phone of the mysterious stranger had been traced to Rika's apartment, an apartment that no one aside from V and Luciel knew the location of. Aside from Yoosung occasionally mentioning her during his tirades against V, hardly anyone talked about Rika anymore- there was too much pain, too many unanswered questions -and now, the mere mention of her apartment whipped the chatroom into a frenzy. Wild accusations began flooding the room like bullets from a gun. Whoever MC was, they were probably overwhelmed by the rapid-fire responses and allegations. He tried to step in and diffuse the situation, but it quickly devolved into him receiving praise for being famous. The flattery felt more like a friendly ego-boost, but if it took some of the tension off of MC, he was willing to deal with being in the spotlight.

However, it didn't last long. Damn rich kid caught onto the subject change and brought the focus back to poor MC. By this point, having defended a stranger with no context on who or what they were, Zen was as curious as everyone else.

Was it possible that she could be a fan? (He still hoped that MC was, in fact, a she) Had he achieved a high enough level of fame for his fans to be desperate enough to hack into a device and track him down to a private chatroom? ...Nah, that was ridiculous. There was no way he was famous enough to reach such a fan, despite what Seven and Yoosung claimed. He wasn't good enough for that kind of obsession... yet. Still, he was curious, and threw the suggestion up in the air.

_*[MC]: Reveal yourselves first! I'm the most confused one here!_

_*[Jumin]: How fierce._

_*[ZEN]: Are you a woman?_

_*[MC]: ...No, I am a sparkly unicorn._  
*[MC]: Can't you see my horn?  


The chatroom grew silent before Zen burst out laughing after noticing the tiny blue and pink unicorn thumbnail attached to her username. Cute _and_ funny! MC had to be a girl!

_*[707]: Haha OMG lolz_

_*[ZEN]: So cute lol._

_*[_ _707]: But wait a sec on the woman thing.  
_ _*[707]: Looking it up._

_*[Jaehee]:_ Such a search violates privacy laws.

_*[707]: Ya. I'm only saying I'm looking it up._   
_*[707]: No evidence that I'm actually hackginh._

_*[Yoosung*]: Seven, that's obviously a lie. lol_   
_*[Yoosung*]: And I know that typo's on purpose._   
_*[Yoosung*]: Still..._   
_*[Yoosung*]: Won't it tell us about itself if we tell who we are first?_

_*[ZEN]: To be honest…_   
_*[ZEN]: I agree with Yoosung._

_*[Jumin]:_ More like you want to show off who you are.

Deciding that now was the right moment, Zen posted the selfie he had taken earlier and posted it on the chatroom. He had really mastered the art of taking pictures without looking into the camera. It was almost as if someone else had taken it...

_*[ZEN]: Hi. I'm Zen. (24 yrs old) Musical actor… Don't look me up on the internet.  
_ _*[ZEN]: It's embarrassing._

_*[Yoosung*]: **Zen, you're so brave!**_

_*[Jumin]: Guess he wanted to show himself off._

_*[ZEN]: No way~!_

Soon, everyone else followed suit, some more willing than others. He almost thought that MC was about to reciprocate when a photo of a young woman with short hair popped up onscreen, but it just turned out to be Jaehee, who was still adamantly suspicious of MC and trying to steer the group back onto the main topic of how the RFA security had been breached. He had to scroll forward in the conversation to keep the cat pictures from triggering his allergies, having to stifle a few oncoming sneezes before he jumped back into the five-way texting barrage.

_*[ZEN]: True. MC, how did you get in here?_

_*[Yoosung*]: Is it really in Rika's apartment?_

_*[707]: Yup. It's for sure…_   
_*[707]: How did it get the apartment password?!_

_*[ZEN]: Where the hell is the apartment?_

_*[MC]: Okay, that's a lot to process._  
*[MC]: To answer all those questions in order, a) I punched in a pass-code which b) some guy called 'Unknown' gave to me, because it was one of the few things written in the phone he found that apparently belonged to the person in the apartment and c), somewhere in a downtown Seoul's development area.  
*[MC]: I can send you the address, if you all are so curious.  


 _*[707]:_ **AH AH AHA!**  
*[707]: Secret~  
*[707]: No one can know the location of Rika's apartment.

_*[MC]: What? Why not?  
_ _*[MC]:...Wait, who's Rika?_

_*[707]: As if you didn't know... hacker._

_*[MC]: I seriously don't. Also, I'm **not** a hacker and I'd appreciate it if you would keep your allegations to yourselves until you get your facts straight.  
_ _*[MC]: Look, I'm just as freaked out as you all are. I was just messing around with some app game my phone downloaded when some guy talks to me about finding some missing phone he found in another country and asks for me to go to an address listed in the phone and punch in the password so I could leave a note for him._

_*[Jumin]: Chatting with a stranger…_   
_*[Jumin]: How naive._

_*[ZEN]: So cute lol_   
_*[ZEN]: Went to an address from a chatting app lolol_

_*[707]: Owner of the phone?_   
_*[707]: You were phished lol_

_*[Yoosung*]: Don't listen to strangers~ The world is dangerous._

_*[Jaehee]: I agree._

_*[MC]: Yeah, in retrospect, it might have not been the GREATEST call on my part.  
_ _*[MC]: Seriously though, all you guys have done is accuse me of being a hacker, a thief, and a liar. How do I know you guys aren't the liars trying to scam me like your creepy buddy Unknown?_

_[Jaehee]: Because we're not the ones who broke into an apartment._

_*[MC]: I told you, I didn't break in! I was given the password._

_*[Jumin]: A likely story._

_*[MC]: ...  
_ _*[MC]: ...Fine. I'm done. I'm fucking done.  
*[MC]: _ _Fuck you, universe, and your karma bullshit too!_

_*[707]: O0O;  
*[707]: Whoa, language! This app is rated PG-13!  
_ _*[707]: Yoosung is too young to hear all this filth!_

_*[Yoosung*]: Hey! I'm not a child ;;  
_

_*[MC]: I don't give a flying fuck what you all think! All I wanted to do today was update my phone and have a nice day at work, but all of that's ruined because I was dumb enough to interact with an application my phone randomly downloaded!  
_ _*[MC]: GOD...!  
_ _*[MC]: I just wanted to chat with pretty boys... T^T_   


_*[ZEN]: Me? You wanted to chat with me?~_

_*[Jumin]:_ Completely out of his mind.

_*[Yoosung*]: Ye.  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: Oh, typo!_

_*[Jaehee]:_ It's true that Zen is good looking.

 _*[ZEN]: Thank you, Jaehee ^^  
_ _*[ZEN]: ...  
_ _*[ZEN]: ...Hello?_  
*[ZEN]: MC? You still there?

Zen was unnerved by the sudden silent treatment. Did they scare her off? God, what if she was actually crying right now? Great. If it turned out MC was a girl, then Zen would really felt like shit now.

_*[Jumin]: Is there something wrong with the connection?_

_*[707]: Nope. She's still logged onto the chat._

_*[ZEN]: Great job, you guys. You scared off the only girl who wanted to talk to us.  
_ _*[ZEN]: She's probably off crying somewhere because of all the horrible things you guys said to her._

_*[707]: Oh... oh god. Don't cry, MC. Please don't cry!  
*[707]: _ _MMMMCCCCCCCCCC! COME BACK TO MEEEEEEEEEE!_

_*[MC]: GOD, I'm not crying! I'm mad as hell!_  
*[MC]: And what the fuck did you do to my phone, 707?! It started meowing like crazy until I answered it!  


_*[707]: Seven's magic hacking skills!~ ;)_

_*[Yoosung*]: Guys, maybe we should give her a break..? I mean, we don't have all the facts yet._

_*[707]: It's OK, MC. We're not accusing you of anything._

_*[ZEN]: Speak for yourself. You just called her a hacker a second ago._

_*[707]: Jaehee and Jumin are the ones that have been attacking her since she came into the chatroom! ;;;  
_

_*[Jumin]:_ I am only trying to be realistic.

_*[Jaehee]: For all we know, you could be a thief trying to talk your way out of this._

_*[707]: Wait._   
_*[707]: Do u have that person's username or chat record?_

_*[MC]: ... oh yeah! The guy's username was 'Unknown' and..._   
_*[MC]: What the... it's not here!  
*[MC]: It was just HERE! WTF!? Where did it go!?_

_*[707]: My guess is that Unknown erased it._   
_*[707]: The chat-log must have been deleted when you entered the real chatroom._

_*[Jaehee]: That is, if said chat-log ever existed._

_*[Jumin]: Does the username not exist? Why is it 'Unknown'?_

_*[707]: I made it impossible to log in without setting a username.  
*[707]: Nothing's in the log…_

_*[Yoosung*]: What's a log? Is it a job title for online games?_

_*[Jumin]: Tree trunk_

_*[Jaehee]: **It refers to** past records;;_

_*[ZEN]: Tsk tsk everyone's so dumb_

_*[Jumin]:_ Never thought I'd hear that from you

_*[Yoosung*]: O0O_

_*[707]: Omg lolol can't believe Zen just said that_

_*[Jumin]: The world must be coming to an end._

_*[Jaehee]_ : Everyone please calm down. Let's look at the situation at hand.

 _*[707]: Hmm. Good point, Jaehee.  
_ _*[707]: Anyways.  
_ _*[707]:_ I should trace the person who distributed the app.

 _*[Jumin]:_ If what she is saying is true.

_*[Jaehee]: I think it would be a good idea to contact V._

_*[707]: Yeah. I think that's a good idea._  
 _*[707]:_ _I'll call and explain everything._

_*[Jumin]: I can call._

_*[707]: Already on it lol_

_*[ZEN]: Fast._

_*[Yoosung*]: Seven seems talk to V pretty often._

_*[MC]: Who's V?_

_*[ZEN]: V is… like our boss._

_*[707]: **The evil mastermind.**_

_*[Jumin]: …or not. He's the person who has control over this chat room and the organization we're in.  
_ _*[Jumin]:_ I hope V comes and takes care of all this.

_*[ZEN]: V's too busy these days to come chat… We'll get to talk to him because of this~_

_*[Yoosung*]: We're all busy. I don't like that V's the only one not coming._

_*[ZEN]: Well... that's true..._

_*[Jaehee]: V should know that MC is here so let's just wait.  
_ _*[Jaehee]: Seven, are you calling him?_

_*[707]: Ya.  
_ _*[707]: Sorry callingvandtypingwithonehand_

_*[Yoosung*]: Type after you finish the call._

_*[707]: Lookedintoownerofdevice.  
_ _*[707]: she'scutelol_

_*[Yoosung*]: You did a background check on her!? So MC is definitely a girl?_

_*[Jumin]:_ What? It's really a girl?

 _*[707]: Ya._  
*[707]: Such a shame. I was hoping for a pink unicorn horn instead of a popcorn beanie, like she said T^T  


_**V has entered the chatroom.** _

_*[MC]: Liar.  
*[MC]: Wait- how do you know I have a popcorn beanie hat on?  
*[MC]: Do_ _you actually know what I look like?!_

_*[707]: Yup._

_*[MC]: How?!_

_*[707]: A magician never reveals his secrets~_

_*[MC]: ...  
_ __*[MC]: ..._ It's the security cameras in the room, isn't it? -_-_

_*[707]: ...  
*[707]: Wow! You're smart!_

_*[MC]: Not really._  
*[MC]: Anyone can check someone's social media for a background check, but unless they post a recent update or selfie, you have to actually see a person to know what they're wearing now.  
*[MC]: It's all elementary.

_*[ZEN]: Wow. Beautiful and smart. Just my type~_

_*[MC]: Nah, I just watch a lot crime shows and mystery novels.  
*[MC]: So Seven, if you can see me right now, then you know I'm not a threat._

_*[707]: ..._ _I would still like to clear things with V._

_*[MC]: **Are**_ **_you fucking serious!?_ **   
_*[MC]:_ _You_ _know what I look like!_   
_*[MC]: Do I seriously look like I could fucking take anybody out?_

_*[707]: Looks can be deceiving~_

_*[Yoosung*]: Why? What does she look like?_

_*[MC]: ...Forget it. Let's just forget._

_*[Yoosung*]: Y? Are you a forever alone?_

_*[ZEN]: I bet she's super cute and tiny that she couldn't hurt a fly and doesn't want anyone else to know~  
_ _*[ZEN]: Show me a photo._

_*[707]: **Nope~  
**_ _*[707]: How dare you try to violate someone's privacy like that._

_*[ZEN]: Come on, Seven. It's not fair that you get to know what she looks like._

_*[Jaehee]: A girl has a right to her privacy, Zen._

_*[Yoosung*]: That feels strange, coming from you Jaehee._

_*[707]: V's coming here soon anyways. He just hung up._

_*[V]: I'm already logged in._

_*[707]: Oh, V! You're here ^_^_

_*[ZEN]: Finally he's here._

_*[V]: Yeah. I guess I'm the last one to know about this._  
*[V]: I see things have been busy since I've been away ^^;;  


Zen let out a sigh of joy and relief. It had been ages since he had talked with V. He was one of his oldest friends from when he first joined the RFA, being incredibly warm and understanding. It was no secret that Zen had an immense amount of respect for V, having been eternally grateful for having saved his life all those years ago from a bad motorcycle accident. But lately V had been so distant, it was like he had become a ghost. Even outside of the chatroom, it had been around three months since he had seen the RFA leader last, and even then the meeting was brief as he was recovering from some sort of eye injury. It was funny that it took for someone to have hacked into their chatroom and broken into Rika's apartment for him to join them in the RFA app chatroom.

Finally after V had said his hellos was when he went into a big winded explanation of the RFA, Rika, and anything else he had left out.

_*[MC]: So to sum it up, I'm in the chatroom of some charity organization that is a privately funded funraising group for charity._   
_*[MC]: Rika is- ...was the leader of the RFA and owner of the apartment I'm in now, and no one other than 707 and V knows about its location._

_*[V]: Basically._

_*[MC]: Okay, I follow so far. What I don't understand is why the apartment is such a secret?_  
*[MC]: I mean, she was your friend, right? Why would she hide where she lived from you guys, her friends?  
*[MC]: It's not like she would be ashamed of the area. This place is actually pretty ritzy.  


_*[Yoosung*]: Rika lived with V when they were going out, but I heard she still worked from her old apartment._

_*[MC]: Okay, pardon my French, but that makes no fucking sense.  
*[MC]: I mean, why would you work from your old home when you live somewhere else?_

_*[V]: It's because of the information she worked with was really sensitive. She worked from that apartment even before we moved in together and kept a lot of classified documents in that apartment that she was worried about compromising._

_*[MC]: ...so get a vault. There are way better ways of protecting sensitive information than going all secret agent about sensitive documents._

_*[V]: Safes can be cracked and broken into. Besides, Luciel is the one who designed the security system in Rika's apartment. That's why he knows where it is._

_*[MC]: ...'Luciel?'_

_*[V]: Oh... I guess you know him better as 707._

_*[ZEN]: That's 707's real name. 'Luciel Choi'_

_*[Jumin]: I think it's his baptismal name?  
_

_*[707]: I think I'm going to go pray...~_

_*[MC]: ...I'm gonna call you 'Lucy' from now on._

_*[707]: What!? Heeeeyyy ToT_

__*[Jaehee]: lol_ _

__*[Yoosung*]: omg Jaehee just said lol_ _

_*[ZEN]: OMG roflmao_

_*[MC]: Anyways, not to stray too far off topic, but you guys are a charity group, right? What could Lucy possibly have to protect with a special security system?_

_*[707]: Try and open one of the drawers to find out, and you won't live to see what happens.  
*[707]: ...Just kidding lololololol_

_*[Yoosung*]: ...Did anyone else just feel a major chill in the room? O.O_

_*[V]: Please don't touch any of the drawers. Aside from the fact that they contain classified information, they are among some of Rika's last things and I don't want them to be disturbed._  
*[V]: The only reason no one here hasn't called the police is because I told everyone here not to.  
*[V]: I'm asking this, not just because of Rika's memory, but because I don't want you to dig yourself into a deeper grave than you already have.

 _*[MC]: Ohhhhkay... I guess I see your point. I guess it would be highly suspicious if some random stranger just happened upon a secret apartment of a dead woman with classified documents._  
*[MC]: Aaaaannndd I just realized how monumentally stupid I am.  
*[MC]: I didn't think it was even possible that I could ever sink any lower than I already am.  
*[MC]: I was **wrong.**  
*[MC]: Don't need to hold open the door. I'll let myself out.  


_*[707]: Wait! We can't let you go. We can't trust all the information you've given us is true and the security system might go off if you leave.  
_ _*[707]: Plus, I know what your face looks like. If you leave... **I'll hunt you down.**_

_*[Yoosung*]: O0O  
*[Yoosung*]: SCARY!_

_*[ZEN]: O_O !  
_ _*[ZEN]: Is that a threat?_

_*[707]: Yup. I will threaten anyone in here who doesn't follow V's decision.  
*_ _[707]: I am V's slave._

_*[V]: ...Uhm. Thank you?_

_*[Yoosung*]: -_-ll  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: Is that how we roll now?_

_*[707]: Uhm. No lol_

_*[MC]: What the hell?! Go? Don't go? Make up your mind! Or am I just supposed to just sit here until you guys decide what to do with me?  
*[MC]: _ _What is it going to take for me to prove myself to you guys that I'm telling the truth and that I'm not a threat?_

_*[V]: I guess we have no other choice.  
*[V]: _ _Since you're already at the apartment and have already been coded into the RFA's mainframe, you'll have to join the RFA._

_*[MC]: ..._  
*[MC]: ...You're kidding, right?  
*[MC]: If this is supposed to be some kind of joke, **it's not funny.**  


_*[Jaehee]: V... you can't be serious-_

_*[V]: I'm completely serious._

_*[MC]: Sorry, but I can't tell if that's sarcastic or not._

_*[ZEN]: He's serious. You might not know this, but V never jokes about these kind of things when it comes to the RFA._

_*[Jumin]: I don't know where you're going with this, V, but I'll support your decision._

_*[V]: Thank you, Jumin._  
*[V]: I believe you all should trust MC when she says that she is innocent.  
*[V]: If you can't trust her, then trust in me.  
*[V]: If MC is not to be trusted, then we can deal with it later.

 _*[MC]: ...what is wrong with you people?  
*[MC]: First, you insult me,  
*[MC]: then you gang up on me, claiming I'm some sort of criminal,  
*[MC]: and now you want me to join your organization?  
*[MC]: Either you guys are fucking with me... or you have a_ very strange _way of showing affection._  


 _*[V]: I understand your concern, MC, but..._  
*[V]: You were sent to that apartment for a reason, one way or another. It can't just be coincidence that you ended up there.  
*[V]: For some reason, I feel like Rika herself must have picked you to come to the apartment.  
*[V]: It must have been fate that you arrived here.

 _*[MC]:_ Really? _There can't be any other reason than that?_  
*[MC]: Bad luck?  
*[MC]: Karma?  
*[MC]: A hacker with no life?  


_*[ZEN]: What? You don't believe in destiny, MC?_

_*[MC]: I believe that after being around long enough, history is bound to repeat itself one way or another._

_*[Jumin]: How pragmatic. :3_

_*[Jaehee]: I agree with MC. It's ridiculous to think that was something preordained.  
*[Jaehee]: _ _But we're getting off subject._

_*[Jumin]: MC._  
*[Jumin]: All we are trying to do is host parties, raise funds, gather people… and things like that.  
*[Jumin]: Our organization has done a lot of good so far.  
*[Jumin]: ...You will never regret joining.

_*[Yoosung*]: I thought Jumin was against her. Why the sudden change?_

_*[Jumin]: I am only following V's decision.  
_ __*[Jumin]: **So, MC, will you join the RFA?**_ _

_*[MC]: I don't really know a lot about planning parties..._

_*[ZEN]: Aww she's humble! How cute!_

_*[Jumin]: At least she's honest._

_*[Yoosung*]: Don't worry, MC! We can help you out ^^  
_

_*[Jumin]:_ He's gone insane.

_*[707]: Lol excited because she's a girl?_

_*[ZEN]: Yup._

_*[Jumin]: Excited because of a stranger?  
_ _*[Jumin]:_ Your heart is insane.

_*[707]: Lololololol lmfao at what Jumin said.  
_ _*[707]: Insane heart lolololol_

_*[Jaehee]: Zen, isn't it quite inappropriate to fall for someone you have never met?_

_*[ZEN]: Uhm. yes.  
_ _*[ZEN]:_ I can't control myself.

_*[Jaehee]: omg_

_*[Jumin]: -_-_

_*[Yoosung*]: MC, you may not be interested right now, but won't you listen to what we have to say?  
*[Yoosung*]:_ _You are involved now that you're here.  
*[Yoosung*]_ _: Regardless of whether you like it or not._

_*[MC]: Do I at least get paid for this job?_

_*[707]: I'd think of it more as community service~  
*[707]: Since you did just trespass and break into an apartment. ^^_

_*[MC]: Fantastic. -_-  
*[MC]: Well, I guess it beats jail and having all of you hate me..._

_*[Jaehee]: We don't hate you, MC. We just don't know you._

_*[ZEN]: Having you be a part of our group will be the perfect way to remedy that.  
_

_*[Yoosung*]: Yeah. You get to stick around and get to know us better, and we'll be less suspicious of your motives._

_*[MC]: I guess I don't have a choice then._

_*[707]: You have a choice, but I would highly recommend joining up. ^^_  
*[707]: Besides... **I think the author would be mad if you keep turning us down.**  


_*[ZEN]: Author? What are you talking about? lol_

_*[Yoosung*]: Anyways, it's not so bad. It's pretty fun around here, once you get into the swing of things. It's nice to have a place to chat and be yourself._

_*[ZEN]: If you join the organization, we'll be able to talk more. Not everyday we meet a pretty girl._

_*[707]:_ Uhm. How do you know she's pretty? I didn't even send the photo.

_*[ZEN]: Send the photo._

_*[707]: No._

_*[ZEN]: Damn. Can't blame a guy for trying...  
_ _*[ZEN]: Well, you would still be to talk to pretty boys like ME!~ ;)_  
*[ZEN]: Just like you initially wanted.

_*[MC]: lol well, I guess that is true._

_*[ZEN]:_ Do you want to talk privately? I'll give you my number.

_*[707]: Zen, why are u being so aggressive lol?_

_*[ZEN]: Haha…_

_*[Jumin]:_ Has it been 3 years since his last fling?

 _*[ZEN]:_ It's been longer. Damn…  
 _*[ZEN]: But I've never seen you with a woman? Ever?_

_*[Yoosung*]: Stop it... Guys...  
*[Yoosung*]_ _: I've never... been with anyone..._

_*[Jaehee]: ...  
_

_*[ZEN]: ...  
_

_*[707]: T^T_

_*[Jumin]_ : Anyways.

_*[ZEN]: Ye, yeah.  
_ _*[ZEN]: So how about it, MC? Want to be part of the RFA together?~_ __  


_*[MC]: ...  
*[MC]: ...oh, what the hell. Why not?_

_*[Yoosung*]: Yay! A new member!_

_*[ZEN]: Welcome, MC. Oi, Seven. Register her info asap._

_*[707]: Ya. I have to register her info before she changes her mind._

_*[Yoosung*]: ...I'm glad we have a girl now! It was a hopeless sausage fest until now lol._  
*[Yoosung*]: MC! If you have any questions, I can answer them.  
*[Yoosung*]: Ask anything you need.  
*[Yoosung*]: No need to worry about anything ^^

Then a couple minutes after the chaos started to settle down, everyone started logging out of the chatroom to head back to work or class. Only after he snuck in a final snippet did Zen feel like a fairy-tale was finally beginning.

_*[ZEN]: Oh… By the way_   
_*[ZEN]: I had a good dream last night. I think I saw you there…_   
_*[ZEN]: Or not. Bye~!_

_**ZEN has left the chatroom.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you guys haven't figured it out already, Mei-Cho isn't technically the MC you all know; it's not just a fresh take on her. She is literally her own person and will probably not answer all the chat-rooms 95% exactly like MC would, because I tried and any answer she tried to say came out as mean and sarcastic. Strangely enough, I'm sort of pulling from my past experiences with Mystic Messenger, as Zen was the first guy I paired with when I played the game, and I was disappointed that I couldn't give him any proper banter to his overly dramatic vanity.
> 
> Other than that, I had a lot of fun writing Zen's side of things while the normal events of the RFA progress. I'll probably do more of that with him and try to phase out any other unnecessary conversations or create more private interactions in order to flesh the universe out because so much of MC's world revolved only around the RFA, and vice versa. These people had lives before joining the RFA or meeting Mei-Cho, and I'm going to try and expand on that. Heck, if it doesn't derail the plot too much, it's possible I might write a bit of the other RFA member's lives outside of the chat-room.
> 
> Side note, Unknown actually met Mei-Cho briefly before he hacked into her phone. Originally, I was going to have it be the guy on the train who gave her back her phone, but I ended up making it the homeless guy because 1) Unknown needed access to the Seoul Metro's Public Access Wi-Fi and was against a wall/custodial closet running his equipment and 2) seeing who interacted with him as a homeless person was his way of testing to see if Mei was worthy of "paradise."
> 
> references/parodies in this chapter are Smoothie King (Smoothie Queen), a smoothie chain that gained popularity internationally in South Korea.


	3. Unicorns Aren't a Myth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei-Cho tries to adjust to her new "job" and ends up having a conversation that spirals in more ways than one.

It was only a few hours into her job and Mei-Cho was already exhausted. Having to input all the data of visitors into Excel was a tedious, mind-numbing task, but somebody had to do it. The interns were hunched over on their cellphones, showing some celebrity tweet or viral video involving taekwondo machine-gun kittens shooting lasers out of their eyes or some other nonsensical bullshit that ate up valuable time when they should have been working, so they were absolutely useless to her.

Periodically, she had Flixnet playing in the background through her headphones while she worked to help motivate herself and ease off the stress. Some of her favorite series, such as _Criminal Masterm_ _inds, Hell Note,_ and _Vampire Prosecutor,_ were always a warm comfort. The former two had been dubbed and subbed in Korean and never failed to coax a laugh out of her at their awkward lost-in-translation moments. The classic crime shows also provided a humbling experience that no matter how often life wanted to kick her in the balls, someone else could always have it worse.

Today though, she was a bit distracted. By not doing the smart thing and ignore the spam application, Mei-Cho had committed a B&E and inadvertently signed up for an unpaid job she had never asked for all in the span of twenty five minutes. From what she had gathered from her conversation with RFA members, giving her the nitty gritty details of her 'probation,' she would have to physically be in the apartment in order to work on the RFA party. Working from her phone was one thing, but regularly visiting that posh apartment that belonged to a dead woman for party information was an entirely different matter. Sitting at her desk, Mei-Cho contemplated how she was going to move forward. This whole situation could take a massive downward spiral, but if she played her cards right, maybe she could find a way to work around it so she would hardly have to go to the apartment at all.

After a couple hours wallowing in regret and self-deprecation for not observing good judgement and trusting her gut, she let out a resigned sigh. Oh well. Perhaps she could count this as an unpaid internship. Who knows? If it all turned out well, it might help give her job experience in fundraising campaigns and event design to help beef up her resume.

"Hey, Mei!" Mei-Cho snapped out of her headspace long enough to see her coworker Seona Lee rush through the door with a small pile of binders in her arms. The glazed donut and cup of espresso balanced precariously in her hands meant only one thing: the boss had given her more work and she was running behind. "Do you know anyone who can cover for me and do the survey interviews this afternoon? I really need to catch up on my design project for the new pamphlet."

"I can do it. I'm getting nowhere with my numbers right now," Mei-Cho offered as the girl slunk back to her desk. Having been one of the few people in the department that had stayed here longer than four years, Mei-Cho was sympathetic to those who had other people try and pile their work on them just because they were the new kid and only worked part-time. If it wasn't for the fact that her mother had worked in the parks department and she was getting paid more than minimum wage, Mei-Cho was no lower than an intern.

"Oh... That's okay. You don't have to do it. I can put someone else on it." Frown lines creased faintly over her face as she turned her head towards the twenty one year old intern.

"Why not? I thought you needed someone to do it. Besides I can use the time to stretch my legs," she spoke with a straight face, rolling out from under her desk.

"Seriously, it's okay. I... I might have just overreacted a bit. It's no big deal, really. I can handle it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's fine."

So angry and frustrated she could hardly see straight, Mei-Cho chose to take a break from imputing numbers and started to shift gears by deciding to do a little research on the mysterious organization, wanting to be a step ahead. Typing up 'RFA Organization' into Noogle had given her a handful of information as articles going as far back as four years ago popped up on the screen. She began scrolling her mouse over some of the stories covered on Bahoo and opened up various tabs and picked one at random.

**_'New Organization Takes the World On by Storm, Raises_ ** **_₩100,000 for Charity'  
"RFA Donates _ ** **_100,000 to Save the Children"_ **   
****_By: Heo Yong-Joon  
_

**_The RFA, also known as the Rika Foundation Association, has been making great strides as the once private organization's latest fundraiser raised_ ** **_₩100,000 to the Save the Children Fund at their latest party. Backers of the organization include Han Jumin, Director and son of the CEO of the export tycoon company C &R, along with the elusive photographer artist V, who provided some of his own rare artworks to be auctioned off for charity.  
_ **

**_'The RFA is a fairly new organization. Though it is small and fragile like an infant newborn, it is my child and I will care for and nurture it like any good mother until it grows strong enough to help make the world a better place,' states the organization founder known as Rika._ **

**_Not much is known about the organization or its leaders, having been involved with small businesses as well as fairly powerful companies through exclusive, invitation-only private parties. Needless to say, they are extravagant and elegant affairs, a must go-invitational party of the year with its fine dining and celebrity guests.  
_ **

Mei-Cho clicked on one of the other open tabs she had on her computer and began scrolling over other titles: 'RFA Holds First Annual Christmas Fundraiser,' 'RFA Receives 162 Donations to Child-headed Households,' 'Culture Minister Attends RFA Charity Fundraiser,' 'Co-Founders of RFA Announce Their Engagement,' -the list went on. Though the search results were few and not exactly front page news articles, the name RFA wasn't as obscure in the media as Mei-Cho had originally thought. Maybe the organization wasn't a complete hoax.

Other than taking a screenshot of a creepy text message Unknown had sent her and posting it into an empty chatroom with the text 'do you believe me now?', she hadn't participated much in the conversations that took place, preferring to sit on the sidelines unless she was spoken to directly. She was curious, but she still didn't want to reveal too much of herself to them. She was fine about being honest, but she had no idea who this group of strangers was. For all she knew, they could have staged the whole thing to lure her into some false sense of security and pounce the moment she let her guard down by impersonating the real RFA.

They didn't act like a bunch fake accounts though. For one thing, she had invaded their personal chatroom, not the other way around. Secondly, they didn't act like people who were fishing for information- well, aside from Zen, who seemed dead-set on scoring a selfie, which either made him a perv or really damn horny. Yeah right. Like she was going to send him a picture of herself when she could hardly give herself a good look in the mirror for more than five seconds.

Still, Zen certainly seemed to be one of the friendlier members, having immediately come to her defense about being a hacker or some sort of criminal. From what she could gather, Zen was a fairly handsome man who was sensitive, impulsive, and wore his heart on his sleeve. He also appeared to be fairly confident, not throwing caution to the wind when it came to loving himself.

It was a shame that he was such a narcissist. His over-flared dramatics timed with his own brand of peacock-ing seemed to be his natural way of communicating with everyone, throwing so much glitter and sparkle in the chatroom that Mei-Cho was surprised he wasn't a vampire in some preteen girl novel. At least it made him good for a laugh.

Jumin, however, was the exact opposite. Though his words were welcoming, he was fairly formal, logical, and a bit cold. His assistant Jaehee was about the same, only less cold and more suspicious, though under the circumstances, Mei-Cho could hardly blame her. Both kept her at arms length through the duration of the conversation unless it pertained towards the party or someone happened to mention something about Jumin's cat. Then a mixed bag of hatred and absolute adoration flooded the conversation.

Yoosung was a tad naive, so odds were he was youngest member. He was nice, albeit a bit excitable, gullible, and game obsessed. He was still in college, so he was still probably figuring things out. She figured that he would be the most emotional person in the chatroom, almost like what a little brother would be like if she had one.

And then there was 707. Luciel, or Lucy as she liked to call him, on the surface seemed to be just flat out insane, a chaotic good in Dungeons & Drakes terms. To get her attention, he hacked her phone so that it meowed constantly at her until she answered, something she didn't think her phone was capable of until now, and managed to call her first thing after her introduction into the RFA, despite never handing out her phone number or allowing the app access to her phone when it was first played. That kind of power over technology essentially made him to be a god in no uncertain terms, and he very much liked to say so. Since he was a hacker and developer of the RFA application, odds are he would mostly likely be the one heading up the investigation on Unknown and help prove her innocence. The scariest part was that unlike the others in the chatroom, he was the only one she couldn't get a proper read on, judging from how hard it was to tell whether he was joking or being serious and how he veiled his threats under easy-going jokes. Mei-Cho had a feeling he would be trouble in the near future.

The only person that he seemed to follow and take orders from was V, who judging from the earlier chatroom logs, didn't appear to be online a lot, giving him an air of mystery. She doubted she would have many conversations with the man.

Given all these options, it only seemed natural that the only one she could have a serious conversation without feeling like crawling out of her own skin was with Yoosung. Unfortunately, being the youngest member, chances were that the blonde probably had the least amount to offer her in regards to party details, and wasn't the only one online currently. A green color highlighted around what were most likely chibi cartoonizations of ZEN and 707 as well, notifying that they were logged on.

Glancing over the previous chat-logs, the conversations varied from cat debates to video game obsessions. Curiosity, anxiety, and menial office work was what made her break her vow of silence. She entered the chatroom and tried to get to know some of the new people that had waltzed into her life.

_*[MC]: Hey! Just checking in to see who's online._

_*[707]: It is the elusive MC!_  
*[707]: Rumors claimed that she did not exist...  
*[707]: That she can only be seen by children, the innocent, and those pure of heart.  


_*[ZEN]: Then how the hell can you see her, Luciel?_

_*[707]: I am innocent at heart. (✪㉨✪)_

_*[MC]: ...Is he high on something?_

_*[707]: Only the sweet goodness of Ph.D Pepper._

_*[MC]: So either I'm a figment of your imaginations, or I guess that must mean you're all virgins then?_

_*[Yoosung*]: O0O...!_

_*[707]: o0o ..!  
_

_*[MC]: Omigod, guys, I was **kidding.**_

_*[ZEN]: OMFG lol_

_*[Yoosung*]: Forever alone... T^T_

_*[707]: No purehearted maiden should ever say the 'V' word._

_*[MC]: I never claimed I was pure-hearted. Unicorn, yes. Pure-hearted, I am not~_

_*[ZEN]: Anyways, what brings you here MC?  
_

_*[MC]: Just doing some research into the RFA and their past parties._  
*[MC]: If I'm really going to be doing this with you guys from now on, I'd rather not do it half-assed.  


_*[ZEN]: I like that you are a go-getter.  
_

_*[MC]: Just want to understand exactly what I'm getting into you._  
*[MC]: INTO. GETTING INTO  
*[MC]: NO 'YOU'  
*[MC]: Damn auto-correct.  


_*[ZEN]: OMG so cute_

_*[707]: MC is already hacking her way into Zen.  
*[707]: We must alert Jaehee, lest there be protests!_

_*[ZEN]: Stop saying weird crap, Seven -_-_

_*[MC]: Anyways, what kind of charities does this organization usually fund? It might give me a few ideas of who to reach out to for invites._   
_*[MC]: Some articles mentioned a few charities like Save the Children, but it didn't seem to have any distinct pattern._   
_*[MC]: Do you guys just draw names from a hat and choose that to be the organization you donate your funds to?_

_*[Yoosung*]: lol We don't really have a set list of organizations, but mostly we dealt with the arts and humanities._

_*[ZEN]: Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to be in class, Yoosung?_

_*[Yoosung*]: I'm on lunch break right now._

_*[MC]: What about you guys? You haven't left for work yet._

_*[ZEN]: I don't have a set work time._  
*[ZEN]: I'm an actor, so my work schedule's pretty flexible.  
*[ZEN]: I'll go to rehearsal in the afternoon lol.

_*[707]: I work mostly from home.  
*[707]: Some days they chain me to the desk until I finish my work. T_T  
*[707]: A hacker's work is never done!  
_ _*[707]: However, I managed to postpone my deadlines, so right now I'm researching._

_*[ZEN]: What are you researching?_

_*[707]: About MC._

_*[Yoosung*]: Are you doing a background chekck?!_

_*[707]: Not a background chekck_

_*[Yoosung*]: It was a typo;_

_*[ZEN]: Type slower -_-_

_*[Yoosung*]: My phone touch screen is crap. T_T_

_*[MC]: Did you find anything?_

Her face paled. The '707 is typing...' icon wavered in the chatroom for what felt like an eternity as Mei-Cho found herself glued to the screen. Did he find her Fake Book page? Was he going to post a link of it for the whole world to see? This hacker acted easygoing, but honestly the amount of power that he had made her violated.

_*[707]: Just the cup size and the number of pantyhose in the drawer?_

_*[Yoosung*]: OMG!_  
*[Yoosung*]: How could you look into something like that!?  
*[Yoosung*]: How did yuo find out?

_*[ZEN]: Seven, you perv :P  
*[ZEN]: And shame on you, Yoosung._

_*[MC]: **...** **Are you trying to get tips on how to find**_ **that** _**or something?!** _

_*[707]: JK.  
_

_*[Yoosung*]: ..._

_*[707]: I wasn't digging up MC's personal life. I'm looking for the person who sent MC to Rika's apartment._

_*[Yoosung*]: Oh...!_

_*[ZEN]: Remember, MC, this is why all men are beasts.  
*[ZEN]: Even Yoosung cannot deny his inner dog._

_*[Yoosung*]: But I wasn't fishing for tips!_  
*[Yoosung*]: And like you're so innocent, Zen!  
*[Yoosung*]: Girls practically fall all over you.  
*[Yoosung*]: I bet they send you stuff like eyelashes in the mail.  


_*[ZEN]:_ I never try and encourage that kind of behavior.^^;;  
*[ZEN]: It's awkward opening my mail when I get like a dozens letters filled with pictures of half-naked girls.  
*[ZEN]: Or I open one envelope and a lock of hair falls out of it or a bunch of women's underwear.

_*[MC]: OMG ratchet._

_*[ZEN]: Now the postman won't personally bring me my mail anymore. T.T_  
*[ZEN]: I had to change mailmen earlier because my last one was a woman  
*[ZEN]: And she kept preventing me from getting my mail by burning my letters.

_*[Yoosung*]: A celebrity's life is scary...;;_

_*[ZEN]: I'm not a celebrity, but being an actor can be tough.  
*[ZEN]: _Is it my fault for being too beautiful for this world?~ __  
*[ZEN]: T.T  
*[ZEN]: I am an oasis in a desert.  
*[ZEN]: A unicorn in a world of horses~

Somehow, after having read that, Mei-Cho envisioned the statement including a dramatic hair-flip with glitter, rainbows and magic anime roses.

_*[MC]: Yes, you are truly a mythical marvel._

_*[ZEN]: Then we'd perfect for each other ^^_

_*[MC]:_ I was being sarcastic. _  
*[MC]: There is only room for one unicorn inside this chatroom._

_*[ZEN]: Then I would gladly break my horn off to you and offer it as a gift, milady~_

Wow, this guy really wouldn't quit, would he?

_*[707]: So romantic~  
_ _*[707]: Makes all this info I found on MC almost heartbreaking to prove the fact behind the myth._

_*[Yoosung*]:_ Did you find something about MC? I want to know too.

_*[707]: Ok. I will make an exception and let you in on some info._

_*[Yoosung*]: +_+_

_707: She's a girl. Young. In my standard, she is cute._

_*[Yoosung*]: ?  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: I don't know what your standard is like but go on._

_*[ZEN]: Probably an alien.  
_

_*[707]: Two beautiful eyes and pink lips.  
*[707]_ _: That's enough, right?_

_*[Yoosung*]: Are you sure you can share that much information?  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: **is what you thought I would say, right? -_-  
**_ _*[Yoosung*]: Just admit that you don't know much about her._

_*[707]: Ok, I don't._

Mei-Cho then let out a breathe she didn't know she had been holding and felt her shoulders sag back into their comfortable computer slouch. So aside from 707, who had been suspiciously quiet about her condition, no one knew what she looked like or who she really was. Of course, Lucy could have been lying and checked her out anyways, but despite everything, he still upheld his honor towards only following V. As weird as Lucy acted, Mei-Cho was a little relieved that the hacker still had some semblance of honor to not invade her privacy unnecessarily. Still... she was going to kill him for that comment earlier.

_*[Yoosung*]: Well, but now it sounds like you're lying.  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: If you find out, will you tell everyone?_

_*[707]: That depends on V.  
_ _*[707]: As always~_

_*[Yoosung*]: But MC does have the right to know.  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: She was kidnapped!_

_*[707]: If I remember correctly, MC came to the apartment of her own free will.  
_ _*[707]: If u just deleted the app in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation._

_*[MC]: Hard to argue with that -_-  
_

_*[Yoosung*]: But still, you're happy that you met us, right MC?_

_*[MC]:_ **_Ya. Sure._ **

_*[Yoosung*]: Hehe, me too. ^0^ :D_

Wow, there really wasn't a button for sarcasm on this thing, was there?

_*[Yoosung*]: Still_ _... I don't really like this.  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: Seven only does what V tells him to do._  
*[Yoosung*]: That's how it's been until now.

_*[707]: What can I do. I'm V's slave._

_*[Yoosung*]: He makes it clear that he knows everything but never gives anything out._

_*[ZEN]: He's just trying to protect everyone in the RFA. He's always been like that._

_*[707]: Maybe.  
_ _*[707]: I can't help it tho T_T  
_ _*[707]:_ Why would the information be called 'classified'?

_*[Yoosung*]: Still... Even when it came to her death  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: I wasn't happy with the information V gave me.  
_ _*[Yoosung*]:_ I have the right to know everything about Rika!

_*[707]: Well... I didn't get a lot of information...  
_ _*[707]: about how Rika left the world...  
_ _*[707]: That's a shame for me too.  
_ _*[707]: But sometimes it's better not knowing._   


_*[MC]: Why is Rika so important to everyone?_

_*[Yoosung*]: She's the person who first thought of the parties and the organization.  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: If it weren't for her, there wouldn't have been any parties...  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: And we would never have helped those in need with the funds we raised from the party.  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: I was glad to be a part of it._

_*[707]: It was fun for me too.  
_ _*[707]: More than anything else, I was glad to  
_ _*[707]: escape from my world and meet the RFA members._

_*[Yoosung*]: I wish... she were still alive.  
*[Yoosung*]_ _: ..._

_*[707]:_ I have to leave now. Just got more work~

_*[Yoosung*]: You have to take care of it right away, right?  
_ _*[Yoosung*]: I finished my lunch so I have to go too._

_*[707]: Ok._

_*[Yoosung*]: Okay~ Bye._

**_707 has left the chatroom._ **

**_Yoosung* has left the chatroom._ **

_*[MC]: Wow, I just bummed the whole chatroom out with that question, didn't I?  
_

_*[ZEN]: It's not you, MC.  
*[ZEN]: Rika was one of our closest friends and even though it's been almost two years since she died  
*[ZEN]: some of us are still getting over it.  
*[ZEN]: We don't really talk about her all that much in the chatroom.  
_ _*[ZEN]: Still that shouldn't discourage you from wanting to come in here and talk with us._  
*[ZEN]: If you need any questions answered, this chatroom is great for talking.

_*[MC]: Clearly._

_*[ZEN]: lol_  
*[ZEN]: Well, I should probably get going. Got to get ready to go to work.  


_*[MC]: Bye._

**_ZEN has left the chatroom._ **

While she was fiddling with her new app, she noticed a message bar on the upper right-hand corner of the app with a little envelope icon called Texts and clicked on it. In it were a few cordial messages from the members sent earlier welcoming her to the RFA. One of which was the selfsame narcissist.

**_ZEN  
[08:30:37 AM]: MC, it's me. I'm sure this text is surprising. We can send texts to each other on this app. If you need to talk or have any questions, feel free to text me. I'd like to get to know you on a more personal level._ **

**_ MC _ **   
**_[12:53:34 PM]: Is this your way of trying to score my picture?_ **

****__ZEN  
[12:54:01 PM]: Ah ha... You caught me!  
[12:54:17 PM]: Can you blame me though? It's not often that we have such a pretty girl to chat with.  


****_MC  
[12:55:10 PM]: I bet you say that to all the girls.  
_

**_ZEN  
[12_ ** **_:55:54 PM]: Not really ^^;; If I did, I'm pretty sure I'd kill them with my stunning good looks. ;)_ **

**_ MC  
_ ** **_[12_ ** ****_:56:08 PM]: Well your looks are pretty killer.  
[12:56:28 PM]: BTW sorry if I was a bit harsh on the guys earlier. I tend to screw around with people and make inappropriate jokes when I'm stressed.  
_

****__ZEN  
[12:56:59 PM]: Oh, I'm sorry you don't feel too well. Stress isn't good for your health.  
[12:57:06 PM]: You can get grey hairs or wrinkles early in life if you don't learn when to wind down.  


**_MC  
[12:57:11 PM]: Are you calling me old rn?_ **

**_ZEN  
[12:58:21 PM]: _ ** ****_Of course not! I'm sure you're beautiful.  
[12:58:35 PM]: Though if you want, you could always post a pic and prove me wrong.  
[12:58:42 PM]: Just saying~_

**_MC_  
 _[12:59:08 PM]: ...you're nothing if not persistent, aren't you?  
_** **** _[12:59:52 PM]: Fine. Here's a selfie_.

And then after doing a quick Noogle search for images, she posted picture of a humanized fan art of an unicorn that resembled her default icon, some character called Fairy Floss or something from a popular children's show called My Little Horsey: Magic is Friendship.

_**[13:00:13 PM]: I'm afraid my hair color is not natural. I get it done by leprechauns. (:  
** _

Suddenly, her phone began to ring and vibrate in her hand. Seeing the user ID as 'Jaehee,' she figured it was wise to answer it and lifted her phone to her ear, "Hello?"

_"Hello. This is Jaehee Kang,"_ spoke a female voice in a formal tone that made Mei-Cho automatically straighten her spine to sit straight. _"I'm calling because I wished to properly talk to you instead of chatting online. This is MC, I am speaking to, correct?"_

"Uhh... yeah. This is she," Mei-Cho nodded even though the assistant couldn't see her, suddenly feeling like she was sitting in a staff meeting or having a phone interview than an informal discussion. Then again, since this was her new job now, it was plausible to call it a phone interview.

_"It'd be wonderful if we could talk in person, but since we can't, I thought this would be the next best option."_

"Uh sure, that makes sense. Umm, not to sound too nosy or anything, but how did you get this number?"

_"Seven told us your number. Hence why I called."_

So Lucy did have access to her personal cell number. Mei-Cho let out an inaudible groan, already starting to anticipate all the spam unknown phone numbers she was going to receive now. She was probably going to have to send them to voicemail or reestablish herself on a No-Call list for a couple of weeks. Changing her number would have no effect to her current situation and would only cost more money and increase suspicion of being in kahoots with the hacker.

_"-I'm sorry, am I calling at a bad time?"_ Apparently, her suffering wasn't so silent.

"No, no. I'm just... trying to mentally prepare for having an active phone life." Her face slid comfortably in her hand into a full-on face-palm before running through it her hair, only for her to remember she had put on her wig before work, causing her hand to snag on the hairline of her curly auburn wig and nearly peel it off the front of her head like a stocking half tugged off of a foot. Old habits died hard.

_"Oh, alright then. As long as I'm not interrupting anything. I hoped to catch you at a moment where I could to properly speak to you."  
_

Mei-Cho fought off a few of the sniggering interns that had paused long enough to look up from their phones with a sharp glare across the break room, cursing at her cheap swim cap for not keeping her scalp dry and make the adhesive less effective while she unplugged her headphones from the computer in order to multitask. She wedged the earbuds into her ears as far as they could go and started blindly fixing her wig. "I'm a bit tangled up in something right now, but I'm not too busy at the moment. What exactly did you want to discuss?"

_"Oh, well, I'll keep it brief then. I just wanted to let you know that if there's anything you feel uncomfortable to talk about to the rest of the RFA, please let me know. Oh, but there is one area with which I cannot help you:_ _Concerning pets, I'm afraid you are on your own. That includes dogs, and I have absolutely nothing I can offer you regarding cats._ _If you don't mind, I'd like you to please refrain from mentioning animals. I have nothing against people who like animals, but..."  
_

While Jaehee went on to discuss her dislike of four-legged companions with fur, Mei-Cho had already fished her travel sized wig spray inside her messenger bag and was started to reapplying the spray-on adhesive to her wig cap, trying not to take personal offense to her dislike of dogs and silently praying that the assistant would continue carrying on the conversation for the two of them long enough for her to get situated. She was just starting to deal with re-adjusting the clips to her wig again when she tuned in, _"...ou have any questions?"_

Oh. That one was geared towards her. Shit! She hoped she didn't miss anything important.

"Uhh... how long have you worked with the RFA?" Mei-Cho asked, hoping Jaehee hadn't covered that subject while she was tuning her out.

_"Around two and a half years. I've been a member of the RFA for a little less than that,"_ Jaehee answered promptly. Mei-Cho expelled a soft sigh. _"I know how strange it can be, suddenly brought into a strange organization you know nothing about. I, too, joined the RFA a little while after it was founded. It felt strange, and even a bit scary. But everyone is nice, so please don't worry. I can guarantee that."_

"Good to know," she said noncommittally before decided to ask change tactics and ask the one question that had been bothering her. The one question that no one really gave her a clear picture of. " ...Jaehee, please tell me about Rika."

_"Rika? Oh..._ _Your question surprised me, b_ _ut I guess your curiosity is only natural._ _This all happened so suddenly._ _Rika managed a charity business, and b_ _efore she passed away, she and V planned a life together._ _Rika's charity involved many things but..._ _the most central project was hosting parties in her and V's name."_

"Yeah, but who was she? You know, as a person? It seems like just mentioning her name causes me to step on some serious emotional landmines."

_"I'm probably not the best person to ask, since I knew her the least out of all the RFA members, but Rika... was a very special person._ _She was a warm and caring person, one we never thought was going to leave us anytime soon. She was one of those kind of people that made you feel good while talking to her. Even a complete stranger could get swept up in her personality from just from a few of her kind words..."_

A couple notification noises rung quietly in her ear, but Mei-Cho tried to tune them out while she listened to the assistant talk about the late RFA founder. Prior to how she first came off as in the chatroom, Jaehee appeared to be a lot more reasonable and understanding than she had initially given the woman credit for. She could tell, not just judging her from how fondly she spoke of her. Her voice always dropped to a softer tone when she spoke about memories involving Rika.

"Sounds like you kind of had a bit of womance going on with her," Mei-Cho smiled, unable to keep the smirk from coloring her voice.

_"Oh... no, nothing like that. We were just good friends and I greatly admired her devotion to her work,"_ Jaehee corrected her, taking a moment to pause before recollecting herself in a more solemn tone. _"She was such a beacon of hope, a spark to inspire great change. It was a shame that she died so young. She probably could have made a real difference, had things not gone down the way they did."_

Mei-Cho noted that Jaehee had used the term 'died' rather than 'commit suicide,' like it was almost an accident that Rika had passed away rather than a purposeful act, ending her own life. Mei-Cho thought to ask how it happened, but thought better of it. Some things are better left unsaid.

"No one's ever ready for tragedy," Mei-Cho finally admitted, chewing slightly on her bottom lip. "It just hits you from out of nowhere, and you can't prepare yourself for something you didn't see coming." _And now you and the rest of the RFA are stuck with me instead of someone you'd rather be hanging out with,_ Mei-Cho couldn't help but think. She had seen her photo. Rika was gorgeous, and if Yoosung was her cousin, she was probably blonde as well. The deeper she dove into the organization, the more it appeared like she was going to have some big shoes to fill.

_"Oh, I'm sorry, but there is a duty that calls for my attention,"_ Jaehee chimed in, her voice anxious and surprised like she hadn't expected to be swept away so easily in the conversation. Then again, she could just be trying to escape the painful memories. _That's what I would do,_ Mei-Cho thought.

"Right. Sorry for keeping you so long."

_"Not at all. It was a pleasure to talk to you."_

"Yeah. It was good talking with you too. You're a lot nicer than I thought you were." And Mei-Cho was almost shocked that it was true.

_"Likewise. Please call me when you need something or have a question, and_ _I will take care of it as fast as I can._ _I look forward to working with you."_

After her phone call with Jaehee ended, Mei-Cho leaned back in her wheelchair and mulled over the information. Her eyes drifted towards the computer screen onto one of the tabs she had left open on the RFA before being sucked into her phone for the past half hour due to the self-same organization. One word from the title leapt out to her, the news articles dating back from almost a year and a half ago: suicide. As soon as she read the rest of the title, she gave it her full attention:

_**'Tragedy Strikes, RFA Founder Rika's Apparent Suicide'** _   
__**"RFA Host Presumed Dead After Three Week Long Investigation"  
By: Heo Yong-Joon  
**

_**Rika, leader of the once prominent charity organization RFA, disappearance has been investigated thoroughly by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Three weeks after filing a missing person's report, the RFA Host was suspected to be dead after officials found** _ _**jewelry belonging to the missing woman washed up onshore of the Han River, and has been presumed dead on XXX-XX-20XX. According to the investigation team's reports, Rika's fiance, V, co-founder of the RFA, spoke to the police claiming that he had gotten into a heated argument with Rika during the latest RFA fundraiser they hosted at his summer home along the coast and the victim was so distraught that she threw herself off of the seaside cliff rocks weeks later. S** _ _**o far, V remains as the only eyewitness account of the victim's alleged suicide and sole suspect to the incident. A** _ _**lthough no body was ever found, n** _ _**o evidence of foul play has yet been discovered, and based on circumstantial evidence and the subject having no criminal record, the head of the investigation team wrote off the woman's disappearance as suicide.** _

_**'Having been close friends with Rika, I would like to state that we were all devastated when we first heard the news,' commented Han Jumin, who appeared to be visibly shaken by the host's demise to this reporter, 'Rika was the heart and soul of the RFA, and though we will try to continue on her legacy, it will never be the same without her.'** _

_**'Rika was a special person to all of us,' Kang Jaehee replied, another RFA member. 'Without her to guide us, the RFA has a definite hole in the organization.'** _

_**One of Rika's closest relatives as well as member of the RFA, Kim Yoosung, had this to say: 'I can't believe she's just gone... It makes no sense. She was always so cheerful.'  
** _

_**No previous medical records have been uncovered for the RFA host's mental history, though it is speculated that depression could have been one of the instigators as V had stipulated that Rika had been seeing a therapist for a prolonged period of time before stopping treatment three months prior to the incident, though it is possible she used an alias, as she liked to keep her work and private life separate.** _

_**The co-founder of the RFA organization and fiance of the deceased, V, refused to further comment at this time.** _

Well damn. No wonder everyone appeared to be so sensitive about Rika. Still, the fact that they never found a body and had only to trust V's word did seem a bit suspect. Most TV shows she watched would assume this to be an act of foul play, but not everything on TV happened in real life. Most missing person cases handed to private detectives could be solved with tracing a person's internet history.

Was V a murderer?

Her brain had just jumped to that conclusion without any real provocation. Though she didn't know the RFA leader well, he didn't actually strike her as as a murderer, coming off as maybe a bit secretive or a martyr, though his intense regard towards Rika's apartment did raise a few red flags. _Unless you have solid evidence, everything can regarded as speculation and circumstantial,_ her father always told her. _Never make accusations unless you can back them up with concrete facts._

Given that she had only met these people hours ago, she should at least give V the benefit of the doubt. Clearly her love of crime shows was starting to warp her mind. Her whole morning had been the start of a cliche episode opening of _Criminal Masterminds._

Mei-Cho had moved to lock her phone, trying to change gears and focus back on the task at hand, until she spotted a red number six located on the upper left corner of the Message icon in the RFA messenger app. Apparently while she had been talking to Jaehee, Zen had gone offline, but not before leaving her a couple more texts before he logged off.

**_ ZEN   
_ ** **_[13:00:35 PM]: lol Wow, you've got a cute horn.  
_ ** **_[13:01:56 PM]: Does that make you 'horny'?~  
_ ** **_[13:05:20 PM]: ...Oh god, please forget that I wrote that..!  
[13:05:38 PM]: That joke was terrible.  
_ ** **_[13:07:23 PM]: I'm sorry if I offended you in any way.  
_ ** ****_[13:10:07 PM]: Remember, all men are beasts. ^^;;_

And just like that, he had fled the chatroom app before she could respond. She let out a snort, doing a complete 180 from her mood only a few moments ago. She decided to type a response anyways just to mess with him.

_** MC ** _   
_**[13:22:15 PM]: No offense taken. Just appreciate that you like my 'horny-ness.'** _   
_**[13:22:26 PM]: And for the record, men aren't the only beasts~ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** _

Fairly energized from interacting with the RFA members, Mei-Cho decided that she had enough of a break and went to check her work email, plugging in her headphone jack back into the desktop. While she restarted her Flixnet, she was suddenly overcome with the overwhelming urge to watch Korean sub of "The Last Kirin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: References in this chapter included Criminal Minds (Criminal Masterminds), Death Note (Hell Note), a Korean drama called "Vampire Prosecutor," Netflix (Flixnet), Dungeons & Dragons (Dungeons & Drakes), My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (My Little Horsey: Magic is Friendship), and The Last Unicorn (The Last Kirin).
> 
> Also fun fact: the charities that the RFA donated to in the articles I made, such as Save the Children, was a nod to Cheritz donating a portion of their money to charities of the same name.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun little work in, but Unknown was actually in this chapter before they contacted MC. If someone leaves a comment on who they think it is, I'll tell them how and why.


End file.
